CITAB Labs

Laboratory of Applied Ecology (LEA)

In the Applied Ecology Lab it’s possible to combine studies on biostatistics, modelling techniques and technology applied to biodiversity research, through the development of predictive tools with application in the management and conservation of ecosystems and endangered species. Further studies might include scientific and technical projects focused on the environmental impacts of infrastructures. The main areas of action can be Ecological Inventory and Monitoring, Ecological Modelling and Conservation of Fauna resources.

Fluvial Ecology Lab (LEF)

The Fluvial Ecology Lab (LEF) is based on the campus of UTAD since 1997 and its main expertise relies on Water Resources Management, Environmental Impact Assessment on aquatic systems and Ecological Assessment of Inland Waters. LEF is dedicated to the development of methodologies in the areas of ecological monitoring, inventory and conservation of aquatic resources, with emphasis on macroinvertebrates and fish communities.

LEF is actually certified by the National Agency (IPAC) in ISO 9001 and ISO 17025, therefore may compete at a national level in this field of activity. The laboratory has been involved in highly demanding programs related to the implementation of the Water Framework Directive in Portugal, as well is contributing to the Habitat Directive or the Flood Directive. Moreover, has contracts with important stakeholders from state organizations (Agência Portuguesa de Ambiente, Instituto da Conservação da Natureza e Biodiversidade and several municipalities) and from private ones (EDP). Also relevant are the linkages with important networks at national (APRH) , Iberian (CIREF) and European (ECRR) levels.08:50 21/09/2018

Agriculture and Environment Lab

Evaluation of GHG emitted from crops and animal production systems. Assessment of environmental consequences when strategies for minimizing negative environmental impacts from animal and crop production, namely from organic and mineral amendments were used in agriculture. Monitoring of fundamental animal, plant and soil processes related to the carbon and nitrogen cycles. The most important equipment on the lab include: 4 gas chromatographs, a portable photoacoustic gas analyzer and a chemiluminescence gas monitor which enable the analysis of greenhouse gases and other important gaseous compounds, such as: methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). In addition, there is a set of structures and facilities available for monitoring biological processes from the nitrogen and carbon cycles like dynamic and static chambers, reactors for composting, scale models of animal housing floors, large-volume chambers with temperature control and field facilities. These facilities, for example, allow the study step-by-step of animal manures applying a life-cycle (farm-scale) approach.

Agro-Environmental Technologies Lab

The main activities of the Agro-Environmental
Technologies Laboratory, focuses on the role of autochthonous fungi in
agro-industrial by products and effluents remediation and/or valorisation. It
includes microbial fermentation of lignocellulose residue as a pre-treatment;
enzyme production and saccharification for bioconversion into added value
products; and myco-remediation of relevant effluents (e.g. wineries, olive oil
mills and chestnut processing), alone or combined with non-biological
processes. Also, the potential use of molds and yeasts as indicators of
ecological integrity is of interest.

Animal House

The animal facility offer services in animal sciences research. The facility houses mainly rodents and rabbits. However the unit may also give support to other research animals from the campus such as pigs, poultry, sheep and fish. The research group develops research in vivo studies on the therapeutic and toxicological properties of plant extracts from Portuguese ethnobotanical floral species, such as Castanea sativa flower and Laurus nobilis extract, using animal models of cancers chemically induced and in the animal model of cervical cancer K14HPV16. The unit provides training programmes based on FELASA B courses for those caring experiments with animals.

Cell Biology and Biochemistry Lab

In the Cell Biology and Biochemistry Lab research
is performed on two major topics: study of the cellular mechanism underlying
the health effects of extracts from plants, agro-food co-products and
mushrooms, of essential oils and of isolated phytochemicals, as well as of the
study of nanoencapsulation of selected bioactive products for pharmaceutical
and nutraceutical applications. Studies developed in this lab aim to contribute
with knowledge related to the bioactive composition of autochthonous plants
(e.g. Thymus mastichina, Thymus carnosus) and the molecular
mechanism by which they modulate the physiological behavior of normal and
tumoral cells. The results obtained also aim to demonstrate the phytochemical
potential of some Portuguese endemic plants (some are endangered) in order to
raise the awareness for its preservations; to value these plants and respective
bioactive compounds as functional foods and/or functional ingredients, and to
value the bioactive compounds present local agro-food co-products to reduce the
wastes and increase its potential as added-value products.

Ecotoxicology Lab

The Ecotoxicology offers the possibility to work in the development and validation of biomarkers of exposure, in aquatic animals. The main aim would be to include these biomarkers in multidisciplinary monitoring programs of aquatic ecosystems, and also use it as tools to identify threats to living organism, induced by exposure to natural and anthropogenic water contaminants. Can include studies under controlled conditions in laboratory facilities, using model species, and monitoring field work, using aquatic, mainly fish, populations.

Forest Products Lab

The Forest Products Laboratory allows the development of research projects and scientific formation in the domain of the forest resources quality (wood, cork, biomass and its by-products) in order to achieve a more rational management, a more efficient use and the transformation of these resources.

The main goal of this research unit can be focused on the study of basic variation patterns and relations between quality and raw materials, which allows the identification and relative quantification of environment, genetic, ontogenic effects as well as its respective interactions in the quality variation of forest products. More focused research can be the study of biometric, physical and mechanical quantification of wood and cork, species selection according to wood quality, growth and productivity studies, relationships between growth conditions and silvicultural practices on wood quality, and forest biomass for energy purposes.

Image-Based Systems Lab

The Image-based systems Lab applies computer vision and image processing methods and can be used to guide or control many agri-food and forestry systems and processes, providing a cheap, reliable and objective approach for inspection, evaluation and measurement purposes and thereby contributing to the Precision Farming concept and practices. The development of innovative non-intrusive image based methodologies are used to estimate different parameters in vine/grape quality assessment such as anthocyanin concentration (as well as sugar content and pH), to identify varieties/clones of vines and to assess vegetative growth indexes and water stress. Image based methodologies are becoming increasingly important in data intensive approaches for precision agriculture; its multidisciplinary nature requires expertise from computer science, digital image processing and computational intelligence with a strong input from agricultural sciences.

Phytochemicals Lab

In the Phytochemicals Lab the main activities are directed to phytochemicals with the aim of obtaining detailed information on variations existing in plant composition due to different genetic, agro-climatic and environmental factors especially concerning climate change. Additionally, in the phytochemical analysis facilities can be performed chromatographic, spectroscopic and colorimetric determinations of bioactive compounds as well as their radical scavenging activity and biocide power against pathogenic microorganisms.

Soil Microbiology Lab

At the Soil Microbiology Laboratory, it is possible to conduct focused research in plant-microorganisms symbioses and biological control agents. This research is performed mainly in arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, plant-growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), endophytes, entomopathogenic fungi and antagonistic bacteria. It aims to select microbial strains relevant to agricultural and forestry applications such as nutrient uptake efficiency, plant-pathogen resistance and plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses, in the context of sustainable and ecological agriculture.

Wildland Fire Lab

The Wildland Fire Lab aims to contribute to improved wildland fire management policies and practices, hence to less vulnerable and more resilient systems. For that purpose, it studies the establishment of links between environmental drivers (vegetation and weather), fire behavior characteristics, and fire effects on ecosystems and assets.

This work is supported by European Investment Funds by FEDER/COMPETE/POCI– Operacional Competitiveness and Internacionalization Programme, under Project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006958 and National Funds by FCT - Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UID/AGR/04033/2013.